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The United States has lifted its suspension on visa processing for foreign-trained doctors, including those from Nigeria.
The United States has lifted its suspension on visa processing for foreign-trained doctors, including those from Nigeria.
According to a report by The New York Times, the restriction was introduced in January and had stopped decisions on visa extensions, work permits, and green cards for citizens of about 39 countries under the US travel ban.
Because of this policy, many foreign-trained doctors were unable to work.
However, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services has now updated its rules to allow medical doctors to continue their visa applications.
A spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that applications for doctors will now be processed.
This change comes at a time when the United States is facing a shortage of about 65,000 doctors, and the number is expected to increase in the future.
Foreign-trained doctors make up about 25% of the US healthcare workforce, with many working in rural and underserved areas.
The earlier suspension forced some doctors to stop working temporarily, while others risked losing their jobs.
With the new update, affected doctors, including Nigerians, can now continue working and processing their visas, which is expected to help reduce pressure on hospitals.
